Bearskin
by Hunter of the Wild
Summary: Based on the fairy tale of Bearskin. Kiyoshi makes a deal with the devil and is left to wander the country for seven years, never bathing, never cutting his hair, that sort of thing, with nothing but an unending pocket of gold coins and a thick Bearskin he must always wear.
Surrounded by death, Kiyoshi can't help but think of home. He struggles to turn his body, sliding in the mud, dark with blood, he wishes to look up to the heavens. _Will I go there?_ He hopes and hopes, but finds himself chained to the earth. His hand clenches around the sword, the shield having long been ripped away. Around him, the battle still rages on but Kiyoshi doesn't pay it any attention. _It's not like I'll live to see victory._ His thoughts are somber and dreary, contemplating all he has missed in his life.

As he muses on past experiences, his vision begins to blur and he hears a crack of thunder. The sky suddenly turns red and cloudy, the exact color of dried blood. At first, Kiyoshi hears only silence, even the noise of fighting and dying men fading. Footsteps ring clear in his ears and he tries to turn his head as much as possible to see this strange entity.

A smile much too broad and full of teeth burns itself into his mind, red and gold eyes flashing in the dim light. He stares wide eyed at the inhuman figure above, praying fervently that this thing wasn't what he thought it was. Horns curve over the figure's head delicately, hiding the sharp edges that he knew to be there. Black claws gently touch his forehead, drawing a drop of blood.

The devil offers him life, promises him happiness – _just at a small cost_ , he explains.

Kiyoshi doesn't hesitate. After all, he wants to see his family again. And so, he meets Akashi Seijuro for the first time, a devil haunting him in human skin.

–

As the tall man steps over the boundary of his father's estate, he can't help but sigh in relief. Waking up on a deserted battlefield, he is sure his dreams of dangerous eyes and whispered promises are just the result of a fever, but his intuitions tells him other wise. Even while making the journey back home, Kiyoshi keeps looking over his shoulder, sure to see horns or claws coming his way. _If I made a deal with the devil, then what did I give up?_

He walks further up the hill, ignoring the blatant signs of disuse. Grass is growing through the stones of the path, a path which had meant so much to his father. There is silence around him, the long grass swaying in the summer breeze. He can hear the chirping of birds, but not the sounds of his lively family. A sinking feeling settles in his gut, fear clawing at his throat.

 _Strange_ , he thinks, _I seemed to have lost something._

As he sits upon the ruins of his home and the skeletons of his memories, Akashi appears before him in a clap of thunder and a chime of song. He offers Kiyoshi another contract, a chilling smile on his beautiful face and the promise of fortune of his blood red lips.

And Kiyoshi accepts.

As he wakes, the first thing Kiyoshi feels is the rough fur around him. As he holds it before him a name appears in his thoughts. _Bearskin._ He thinks back to his deal and contemplated his chances of actually winning this bet he made with the devil. Kiyoshi looks to the sky, praying for God to have mercy. But he turns his face back to the road before him and sets out on his seven year long journey.

Even as he travels, his beard grows and his hair lengthens. His nails grow brown and brittle and his skin filthy. Mothers pull their children away from the man, hushing them with words of _You must never speak or go near Bearskin._ His constant companion the bearskin and pockets full of unending gold. He sleeps at whichever church or stable will have him, giving them handfuls of coins in exchange. He never asks more than for them to pray for his continued life. For he knows, if he dies before his seven years are up, the devil will take his soul. They send him off with a basket of food and grateful thanks as they greedily count the coins.

Kiyoshi endures, smiling gently at the passing common folk and never as much as lifting a hand when he is struck with rocks and words. Children and adults are cruel, but sometimes, just sometimes, Kiyoshi gets another spark of hope, hidden underneath all the filth of the world around him. He sees bad people, but also the small gems. A small girl sneaking him food here, a man offering him a place to sleep there. And so, as he travels through the next village he does expect the expletives hurled at him but doesn't expect the small body to stand in front of him, defiance visible in the posture. He is struck silent as the young man turns to him with bright, _angry_ blue eyes and demands that he follow.

So Kiyoshi follows the smaller male, a comical sight to the watching. Him, an overly large man covered in bearskin and dirty beyond comparison, and this pretty, young thing. He stumbles after him, even as they come to a halt before a small, broken down inn. The younger male is offering him a place to rest as another, much older man rushes out. His face is drawn, hesitant at the sight of the beast like man before him. _I am sorry, but we can't afford to offer this to you_ , he says with eyes flickering to the boy. Kiyoshi hears the chattering of children and he glances up to see two pairs of curious eyes staring back. _I will pay_ , Kiyoshi mumbled and reaches into his pocket, pulling out a handful of gold coins. Surprised, the old man fumbles for words but rushes the tall brunet inside, greed already filling his mind with plots and ideas.

 _I have a proposition,_ the man explains while Kiyoshi tears into meat and bread. He sips his newly bought beer and smirks. _I will let you marry one of my children, if you give me more of that gold._ Kiyoshi stills, disgust filling his thoughts. _What kind of man sells his children?_ He thinks, chewing carefully. He turns however to watch the spoken about children and isn't surprised to see the oldest, a fiery headed one with intense eyes, stand up and announce that he would _never, ever marry a beast!_ The younger one looks at him with disgust in his eyes, tan skin complemented by dark blue hair, and declares worse than a beast trying to pass himself off as human. Kiyoshi laughs a bit, jubilant at the spirit these two show and turns gentle eyes onto the youngest, the little thing that saved him earlier that day.

 _What about you, little one?_

 _Tetsuya._ He answers quietly, drawing surprised looks from everyone. _That's my name. And I cannot complain about my father's offer._

His voice trembles a little, fear blatant in the curve of his neck, in the way he holds his hands together. Kiyoshi looks down at the younger male and offers a small smile. _Then you are the one I choose._ He couldn't leave this one behind, while his father might offer him to the next best rich man or woman. _Tetsuya,_ he begins, _I will leave for a few years. Be ready for my return._

And so Kiyoshi leaves again, intent on finishing his journey and beating the devil at his own game. As the last day of his seventh year passes, Akashi once again appears in a clap of thunder, surrounded in a cloak of anger. _So you've made it._ He states with restrained apathy. Kiyoshi nods, a broad smile on his face. Akashi remains silent, but does as ordered. He washes the dirt of the filthy man's back and clips his nail. He shaves his beard and cuts his hair, and a new person seems to emerge from the old bearskin. _Bearskin you are no more, Kiyoshi Teppei._ Akashi smirks in his own damning way, but frowns as soon as he is asked to recite a prayer to god. _You have already won this bet, Kiyoshi Teppei, but nothing will stop me from coming for your soul again._ But Kiyoshi laughs loudly and walks away, intent of finding his promised one. He might not marry him, Kiyoshi thinks, but a promise is a promise.

He walks into the inn, completely different from the years before and spots Kuroko immediately. He feels the two siblings eye his rich appearance appreciatively, but as he walks towards the blue haired man, Kiyoshi sees the dawning recognition in Kuroko's eyes and his widening smile. _See, Tetsuya, I've come for you._


End file.
